Pascal Rhéaume named Toronto Sceptres head coach
The former NHL player and 2003 Stanley Cup champion takes over after Troy Ryan's departure to San Jose.
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Former NHL player Pascal Rhéaume was named head coach of the Toronto Sceptres on Wednesday, the second member of his family to join the PWHL this spring. His older sister, Manon Rhéaume, is general manager of the Detroit expansion team.
Rhéaume, 52, replaces Troy Ryan, who left Toronto after three seasons to become coach and GM of the PWHL's expansion team in San Jose. Rhéaume won a Stanley Cup with the New Jersey Devils in 2003 during his nine-year NHL career split among six teams. More recently, he spent 14 years in coaching, including the last two as an assistant with the New York Islanders' AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
He had one previous head-coaching stint, spending two seasons with Val-d'Or of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Rhéaume also won an AHL Calder Cup with Albany in 1995. His NHL career spanned 318 games with 39 goals and 91 points across stops in St. Louis, Atlanta, Chicago, the New York Rangers, and Phoenix.
"Pascal brings a fresh perspective, a new voice, and valuable professional experience to our organization," Sceptres GM Gina Kingsbury said. "We believe Pascal's leadership, experience, and approach to player development will have a tremendous impact on our group."
The Sceptres finished fifth last season, missing the playoffs for the first time in their three-year history. The team is in transition after losing two of its top three leading scorers—Daryl Watts and Jesse Compher—to Detroit in the expansion signing process. Rhéaume becomes the second former NHLer to coach in the PWHL, joining Minnesota's two-time Walter Cup winner Ken Klee.